The main question, though, is whether the Shake Weight workout is
effective.
Press releases cite results from two studies -- one by a commercial
laboratory,
the other by a San Diego State University researcher -- that claim
Shake
Weight burns more calories and engages the arm muscles better than
free weights
do. However, these studies probably should be taken with a grain of
salt
because they are being used for commercial purposes, rather than
appearing
in a non-commercial, peer-reviewed academic journal. What's more,
the studies
seem to be comparing the Shake Weight with the use of a standard
2.5-pound
free weight. A traditional weightlifting regimen for toning arms
would gradually
increase the weight well beyond 2.5 pounds.

Quite a few reviewers criticize the Shake Weight's effectiveness as
limited,
instead recommending traditional weightlifting with a full range of
dumbbells
to build and strengthen muscle -- including reviews at WalletPop.com
and
Wired. Claims that the Shake Weight creates lean arms also come in
for criticism,
since "lean" implies fat loss. The Shake Weight is not a total
weight-loss solution. We also found a few complaints at
RipOffReport.com
and WorldOfDiets.com about poor customer service when buying the
Shake Weight
online -- including refusal to refund shipping charges for a damaged
product.

Some do find the Shake Weight to be convenient, however, and it
earns a
positive rating from a fitness expert at ABC'S "Good Morning
America." She
recommends leaving it in a convenient location so you can use it
often throughout
the day. Overall, using the Shake Weight is certainly better than
not exercising
your arms at all. The main caveat is not to expect too much from it.

Our Sources

The Shake Weight is one of five fitness products evaluated in this segment of ABC'S "Good Morning America." Tester Becky Worley gives the Shake Weight a grade of B-plus, saying that though you wouldn't want your kids to watch you using it (apparently because of the sexual innuendoes), the device does exercise the shoulder and entire arm and is convenient to use in your spare time.

Certified personal trainer Sal Marinello points out that just because you can feel something -- fatigue, soreness or muscle burn -- doesn't mean you're performing an effective exercise. He also notes that the studies that supposedly support the Shake Weight's claims are not available for scrutiny.

Tester Lisa Kaplan Gordon reports that the Shake Weight hurt her neck and was awkward to hold and use. Ultimately, the Shake Weight fails to wow her and it gets WalletPop.com's lowest Buy-O-Meter rating.

Although they poke plenty of fun, Wired editors take this evaluation of the Shake Weight seriously. However, reviewer Steven Leckert says it doesn't raise the heart rate much compared to regular weight lifting and did not produce any muscle soreness.

5.
KIDK (Idaho Falls, Id.)

Tommy Noel, Feb. 11, 2010

Reporter Tommy Noel interviews a body builder, Kendall Cameron, who tries the full set of Shake Weight exercises and judges the device useless: "There's no tension on the muscle whatsoever." Other body builders at the gym agree that for serious muscle strengthening, the Shake Weight is not a good solution.

A Canadian doctoral candidate studying the effects of exercise on obesity criticizes the Shake Weight as based on ineffective "vibration training." He also probes the credentials of the experts cited in the Shake Weight infomercial, finding them quite unimpressive. (We checked out the credentials of the studies cited on the Shake Weight website, however, and they're valid.)

Over a hundred reviews of the Shake Weight at Amazon.com result in a mediocre average rating, with as many 1- and 2-star scores as 5-star raves. Some of the negative reviews warn of neck injury from doing the exercises on the included DVD.

This user-written review acknowledges the limitations and hilarious aspects of the Shake Weight, but does recommend it as likely to get rid of "triceps wiggle" and accomplish some toning. Another user comments on this site that the two triceps exercises on the DVD are important to do in order to get results.

This balanced review notes that the Shake Weight is convenient and doesn't require much space to use. The author is skeptical about the effectiveness of a large number of rapid contractions, however, compared with the tried and true method of gradually increasing the weight lifted.

This reviewer criticizes the Shake Weight commercial for implying that it's possible to spot-reduce fat and for claiming that significant results can be achieved in only six minutes a day. However, it should be noted that the reviewer is also promoting his own book on losing fat.

This press release reports that computer modeling of the Shake Weight by a commercial lab finds that it uses more energy than exercising with a regular 2.5-pound weight. For example, an average woman would burn 150 calories in a six-minute session with a Shake Weight, compared with 26.4 calories with a free weight.

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